corporate social responsibility report · corporate social responsibility is the activities...
TRANSCRIPT
2015
Halton Hills Hydro
Corporate Social Responsibility Report
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 1
I am pleased to present
this Corporate Social
Responsibility Report, a
first of its kind for
Halton Hills Hydro
With this report, we are
showcasing our ongoing
commitment to the
Triple Bottom Line of
People, Planet and
Profit. It is an important
foundation to grow from
as the electricity sector
continues to evolve.
Art Skidmore
President & CEO
Halton Hills Hydro
HALTON HILLS HYDRO
2015 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT This is Halton Hills Hydro’s inaugural Corporate Social Responsibility Report.
It encompasses the vision, values and activities of the corporation,
highlighting 2015 activities representing the corporate social responsibility
value system.
Social Responsibility has always been part of the vision of the company and
business actions and values have always supported this vision, however, this
is the first time these actions have been formalized into a report.
Performance Excellence
Customer Satisfaction
Corporate Citizenship
Financial Effectiveness
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 2
Corporate Social Responsibility is
the activities undertaken by the
company to operate in an
economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable
manner.
WHAT IS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY? Corporate Social Responsibility is the activities undertaken by the company to operate in an
economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.
At Halton Hills Hydro, this means being a good corporate citizen, maintaining our customer’s trust,
benefitting our shareholder, regulator and industry as a whole. It shapes our vision as a leader in the
industry, striving for best in class in all areas of our business.
Social Responsibility is an important element of being a top employer. Over the next few years, a
number of staff members are eligible for retirement.
Ensuring we are able to attract and retain the right people
in the right jobs over the coming years is important to the
success of the company. Potential employees increasingly
consider a company’s corporate citizenship and culture
when applying for jobs.
Having a strong vision of Corporate Social Responsibility
helps Halton Hills Hydro manage reputation and public
perception. A strong corporate citizenship model helps
our customers understand our value proposition.
Our Corporate Social Responsibility framework is built on the guidelines and best practices provided by
ISO 26000. Our focus is on the three pillars of Environmental Sustainability, Economic Sustainability and
Social Sustainability.
Environmental Sustainability
Economic Sustainability
Social Sustainability
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 3
Being a good corporate citizen is an important part of maintaining our customers trust. The results of
our recent customer’s satisfaction survey demonstrate the importance of our company image in our
customer’s perceptions.
2014 UtilityPULSE Customer Satisfaction Survey Halton Hills Hydro Ontario LDC Average
Is a respected company in the community 88% 78% Keeps its promises to customers and the community 84% 76% Is a socially responsible company 85% 77% Is a trusted and trustworthy company 86% 77% Overall the utility provides excellent quality services 85% 80%
Maintaining a good corporate stewardship vision provides opportunities to boost our customer,
employee, shareholder and regulators perceptions.
All levels of the organization from the Boards of Directors to front line staff are involved in our ongoing
sustainability strategies. From sustainable governance to employee creative and critical thinking we
strive for continuous improvement.
In 2015, Halton Hills Hydro launched three new taglines which support the vision of corporate social
responsibility throughout the organization: We are Community, We are Reliability and We are
Conservation.
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 4
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY – recognizing and managing
the environmental impacts of our business and recognizing the link
between the electricity sector and the environment.
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 5
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Environmental Sustainability at Halton Hills Hydro drives business decisions as well as customer
initiatives.
Halton Hills Hydro provides energy conservation programs and initiatives through the IESO’s
saveONenergy program. In 2015, the utility prepared a new 6 year plan to achieve 30.9 GWh in energy
conservation. By the end of 2014, Halton Hills Hydro had achieved 23.3 GWh of energy conservation
through customer participation in saveONenergy programs, achieving 103.5% of the 2011-2014 energy
target. The ISPA Woodworking project, highlighted in the case study on page 8 of this report, realized
approximately 275,000 kWh per year of energy savings.
Each year, employees participate in the 22 minute makeover on Earth Day to clean up the company
properties, including the naturalized creek area. Employees participate in over 20 community events
annually to provide customers with information about our energy conservation programs, energy saving
tips and other information about the programs and services we offer.
In the office, the sustainability committee looks for ways to green the workplace. Every workstation was
given a blue box to ensure recycling and green bins were introduced to collect organic waste. The utility
joined the SmartCommute initiative to promote car-pooling and walking or cycling to work for local
employees. A car pool parking spot was designated near the employee entrance. The locating
department switched to non-toxic, water soluble paints and our cleaners only use green cleaning
products.
In 2014, employees started an employee garden in an unused stretch of yard behind the building. As
well, employees participate in the Halton Fresh Food Box, a program that provides monthly boxes of
fresh food from local farmers and helps bring
fresh food to those members in the
community most in need.
Halton Hills Hydro worked with the Halton
District School Board to bring the Energy Drill
program to local schools. This is a demand
response program which aims to reduce the
amount of electricity being consumed in
times of high demand. Triggers for an Energy
Drill are high temperatures and poor air
quality. Some of the ways students
participate in the Energy Drill are by turning
off & reducing lighting levels & using natural
lighting, unplugging things which are not in
use, and not using computers.
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 6
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 7
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – Ensuring a balanced approach to
meeting shareholders expectations while ensuring just and reasonable
rates for consumers. Maintaining the long term viability of the utility and
the community and enhancing our role as a leader in the community
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 8
Customer Engagement
Customer Satisfaction
Customer Trust
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY Economic sustainability means operating as a business that not only ensures its own financial viability
but also takes a leadership role in the economic well-being of the community in which it operates. At
Halton Hills Hydro, that means continuing to meet shareholder expectations for distributions on an
annual basis. It also means having a robust financial planning process as part of the strategic planning
process. As well, it means providing economic benefit to the community the utility serves.
In 2014, Halton Hills Hydro was awarded the Electricity
Distributor’s Association Award for Performance Excellence, the
highest honour given by the industry. This award was based on
performance excellence in 2013 in the areas of:
Occupational Health and Safety Operational Excellence Financial Operations Retail Strategies for Conservation and Demand Management Contribution to the Community
Building on this success, the utility continues to provide performance excellence through innovation and
collaboration. As a regulated entity, Halton Hills Hydro’s strategic plan strikes a balance between
customer and stakeholder expectations while ensuring consistency with the provincial vision. The utility
continues to be positioned as a Best in Class utility following the provincial goal of finding increased
efficiencies within the sector. Halton Hills Hydro seeks innovative partnerships wherever possible to
share resources, costs and knowledge.
Supporting local businesses is a priority Halton Hills Hydro. Many employees live locally and local
businesses are supported wherever possible. The utility is an active member in the local Chamber of
Commerce and supports local BIA events. As well, there is a strong relationship between Halton Hills
Hydro and the Town of Halton Hills, both as its shareholder and as a partner in the community.
A key part of economic sustainability is listening to our customers. As the utility developed
its five year Distribution System Plan, it engaged with customers to understand their
concerns and perceptions and help them understand the rate setting process.
Customers participated in telephone and online surveys as well as focus groups.
Understanding customers concerns and needs and communicating with them is an
ongoing effort for the utility. Halton Hills Hydro has 20% of customers engaged on
social media.
Halton Hills Hydro recognizes not only the importance of engaging with customers
but also the importance of engaging with the industry. A number of employees
participate in industry working groups to ensure the utility has a say in shaping the
direction of the industry.
All employees are engaged in ongoing creative and critical thinking initiatives to continue to
find ways to improve processes reduce costs and continue a path of continuous improvement.
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 9
[SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
– Social sustainability
encompasses our employee’s
safety, well-being and work
environment as well as our
role as leader in our
community.
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 10
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Social Sustainability at Halton Hills Hydro recognizes not only the safety and well-being of our employees
but also our customers, our environment and our community.
Halton Hills Hydro is proud to participate in the Town of Halton Hills Community Sustainability Strategy
as a Sustainability Champion.
The Town of Halton Hills has a 50 year strategy, known as
Imagine Halton Hills to plan for a future characterized by
Cultural Vibrancy, Economic Prosperity, Environmental
Health and Social Wellbeing. Halton Hills Hydro is proud
to be a part of this vision and to help enhance awareness
of Imagine Halton Hills and the benefits of sustainability.
Employees host numerous fund raising lunches, raffles
and events throughout the year. Each year, Halton Hills
Hydro employees raise over $1750 for local charities.
Beginning in 2014, employees participate in a coat drive
where winter coats are donated to a local charity for
distribution within the community. As well, employees
participate in a number of community fund raising events
such as the Mayor’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake and fundraisers for the Georgetown Hospital Foundation.
Halton Hills Hydro participates in the LEAP Low-income Energy
Assistance Program which provides emergency assistance and
special arrangements for low income consumers. As well, the utility
offers the saveONenergy Home Assistance Program to assist low-
income consumers take advantage of energy saving measures.
Halton Hills Hydro has created an innovative safety partnership to
provide safety excellence for employees, customers and the general
public. The Empower program provides ongoing employee
knowledge and engagement in safety programs and ensures that
contractors doing work for the utility adhere to the same high level
of safety.
Halton Hills Hydro | P a g e 11
CONCLUSION Halton Hills Hydro, its employees and its Board of Directors is committed to the welfare of the company,
its employees, the community and the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility is an ongoing
process throughout the organization and a vision that is integrated into the business decisions and
activities of the company. It is a driver of business value and performance and an important driver as we
look to the future of the organization.
Corporate Social Responsibility will continue to be a priority for Halton Hills Hydro as we continue to
strive for Best in Class.